Crop conveying and delivering mechanism for corn harvesters



March 13, 1956 Original Filed April s, 1949 A. KORSMQ ET AL CROPCONVEYING AND DELIVERING MECHANISM FOR CORN HARVESTERS 5 Sheets-Sheet lINVENTOR. Aer/P50 Aoksuo Mmrr/A/ Emma/v4- lrromrers March 13, 1956 A.KoRsMb ETAL CROP CONVEYING AND DELIVERING MECHANISM FOR CORN HARVESTERSS SheetS-Sheet 2 Original Filed April 8, 1949 INVENTOR. 40-250 XORSMO BYM41977 Roam/41- q' Irv-04741513 March 13, 1956 A. KORSMO ET AL 2,737,767

CRO? CONVEYING AND DELIVERING MECHANISM FOR CORN HARVESTERS OriginalFiledApril a, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. 4075a KORSMO Maw/1vRoMv/Mi- Jrrokusrs March 13, 1956 A. KORSMO ET AL CROP CONVEYING ANDDELIVERING MECHANISM FOR CORN HARVESTERS 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Original FiledApril 8, 1949 INVENTOR. AIFRED K0 RSMO M4)??? ROAM/MIG- Mew 452 March13, 1956 A. KORSMO ET AL CROP CONVEYING AND DELIVERING MECHANISM FORCORN HARVESTERS Original Filed April 8, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 U H-NI HUnited States Patent o pit-6 CROP CONVEYING AND DELIVERING MECH- ANISMFUR CQRN HARVESTERS Alfred Korsmo, Hnpltins, and Martin Ronning, St.Louis Park, Minn, assigners to Minneapolis-Moline Company, Hopkins,MHHL, a corporatien of Mimesota 9 Claims. (Cl. 56-18) This inventionrelates to improvements in mechanisms for conveying and dellvering cropmaterials in agricultural machinery, and particularly to a conveyingmechanism between a pair of crop working units, one of which moves ortilts with respect to the other.

We illustrate our invention herein in connection with a two-row cornpicker having aforwardly arranged, vertically tiltable picker unit and arearwardly arranged husking unit, and the invention is for the purposeof conveying the picked corn upwardly and rearwardly from picker tohusker. The invention will be so described herein out it is to beunderstood that the conveyor mechanism will also be useful inconjunction with machines for harvesting crops other than corn, whereinthere are a pair of relatively movable crop working units. The presentapplication is, furthermore, a division from our copending applicationSerial No. 86,175, filed April 8th, 1949, for Row Crop Implement-TractorCombination, now Patent No. 2,641,887, issued June 16, 1953.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a crop conveying anddelivering mechanism including an endless raddle type or flightedconveyor extending from the picker unit upwardly and rearwardly to adelivery point above the husking unit, with novel connection and framemeans supporting the opposite ends of the conveyor and mounting themupon the respective units, so that the conveyor will be maintained in anoperatively taut condition despite the fact that the picker unit isfrequently tiltably adjusted with respect to the husking unit duringoperation of the machine.

Another object is to provide novel mounting and supporting means for thedelivery end of the conveyor to limit and prescribe its movement, as thepicker unit is adjusted, so that a flexible chain drive may be used forthe conveyor and so that the drive chain will also be maintained in anoperatively taut condition at all times.

A further object is to provide a crop conveying mechanism of thischaracter so arranged and provided that it will further function toassist in the discharge of waste products from the husker unit such asthe husks, silks, etc.

These and other more detailed and specific objects will be disclosed inthe course of the following specifications, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a plan view with parts brokenaway of a two-row, self-propelled corn picker which forms the subjectmatter of the parent application and in connection with which theconveying and delivering mechanism of the present invention is used.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view taken substantiallyalong the line 2-2 in Fig. 1 and showing certain parts of the tractorportion of the implement in dotted lines only.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the forward portion of themachinepartially broken away to disclose interior details ofconstruction and showing the picker unit as 2,737,767 Patented Mar. 13,1956 2 adjusted upwardly to an elevated position with respect to itspositionin Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevation of a central portion of the machinewith certain parts broken away and in section and showing the cropconveying and deliverinz. mechanism constituting the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the central portion 0 the machine, lookingat the same from the opposite side, and with the front axle structure ofthe tractor shown in section.

' Referring now more particularly and by reference characters to thedrawing, a tractor-implement combination forming the subject matter ofthe parent application will be described herein with only such detail asnecessary for an understanding of the present invention. In itspresently illustrated form the machine is a two-row, selfpropelled cornpicker made up fundamentally of a tractor unit, designated generally atA, upon which there is supported a husking unit B and a forwardlylocated, tworow picker unit C. As will be evident from Fig. 1, it isnecessary to provide means for conveying the crop from both sets ofpicking rolls in the unit C upwardly and rearwardly for discharge intothe husker unit B, which is centrally located to the rear of the pickerunit. It is this crop conveying and delivering mechanism, which isdesignated generally at D, that comprises the subject of the presentapplication.

The tractor unit A includes an elongated, laterally located chassisassembly 10 upon which there is a power plant, op'erators station andother related components. The tractor unit further includes a pair ofwidely spaced and forwardly located traction wheels 11 and 12 connectedby a live axle 13 located in a tubular axle housing 14, with the axle,of course, driven from the engine in order to power the traction wheels.The rear end of the tractor is supported upon a dirigible rear wheel 15which runs in substantial tracking alignment with the traction Wheel 11.Power for actuation of the implement mounted upon the tractor is takenthrough a drive assembly, indicated generated at 16, and the implementis supported at three points upon the tractor, including twotransversely spaced forward fastenings, designated at 17 and 18, and asingle rear fastening 19. This tractor assembly, per se, is noto'nlydescribed and shown in more detail in the parent application but furtherforms the subject matter of Ronning Patent No. 2,524,083, issued October3rd. 1950, to which attention is invited for a complete disclosure ofthe tractor and the implement mountings therefor.

It is the husker unit B which is directly connected by thethree'fastenings 17, 18 and 19 to the tractor and this unit will firstbe described in detail. The same comprises a main frame structure ofbox-like arrangement and construction, designated generally at 20, whichmay be conveniently fabricated from angle iron and channels inaccordance with modern production methods and which comprises, as itsmain elements, upper and lower frame bars 21 and 22 at each side whichare connected by vertical bars, designated throughout at 23, and crossconnected by transverse bars, indicated collectively at 24. Since theprecise construction of this main frame does not, of course, form a partof the present invention, it will not be described in further detail andsuch parts as necessary will be identified hereinafter. In any event,the main frame forms a support for a husking box 25 which is openforwardly and upwardly for the reception of the picked corn, which fallsupon a chute 26 directing the ears onto a husking bed 27 conventionallymade up of upper and lower rolls, indicated at 28 and 29. These rollsare located lengthwise in the main frame in a rearwardly, downwardlysloping position and are driven at their forward ends by means of aseries of meshing gears and sprocket chains 31, as described in detailin the parent application. The ears are moved downwardly over thehusking bed and held to the husking rolls by means of a huskingconveyor, indicated generally at 32, and the husked ears of corn emergeatthe point 33 in Fig. 2, from whence they fall onto a conventionalwagon elevator 34 extending upwardly and rearwardly from the rear end ofthe machine to deliver the ears to the wagon or truck which usuallyaccompanies the picker. The husks and silks stripped from the ears bythe husking rolls fall through the bed onto a horizontally arrangedendless apron-type husk conveyor 35 located beneath the husking box, asbest seen in Fig. 2. This husk conveyor 35 is driven so that its upperflight, designated at 36, moves in a forward direction and the husksthus are discharged over an apron or lip 37 at a point immediatelyforward of the axle housing 14 and fall to the ground. It is notbelieved necessary to further describe the husker unit or the variousdrive mechanisms for its rolls and conveyors herein.

The picker unit C is, as stated, designed for picking two rows of cornsimultaneously and for this purpose it, of course, has right and lefthand pairs of picking rolls andopposed cooperating upper and lowergathering chains in accordance with the usual construction of suchdevices. The corn is guided and directed into the rolls 38 by means of aforwardly tapering center snout 39 and laterally disposed oppositelyflaring gathering points 40 and 41. The snout extends rearwardly into acenter sheet 42, the opposite surfaces of which slope toward the rolls38 while the gathering points extend rearwardly into gathering sheets 43and 44, also sloping toward the rolls. The gathering sheets further havedepending side panels,

indicated at 45, and this entire structure is conventionally fabricatedfrom suitably braced and supported heavy sheet material including theusual tubular cross member 46. The framing for the picker unit,including the snapping rolls 38, as well as the gathering chains 47,includes a tubular cross member or hollow beam 48 and the same isrigidly connected to the frame structure of the picker unit by suitablebrackets and gusset plates, as clearly shown. Inasmuch as the pickerunit must be vertically adjusted to compensate for varying conditions ofthe crop being harvested, the connection between the frame structure ofthe picker unit and the main frame 20 of the machine is made by means ofheavy pivot pins, designated at 49, about which the picker unit mayswing in a vertical, longitudinal plane. Heavy coil springs 50 areconnected between the main frame 20 and rearward extensions 51 of thepicker unit frame, in order to counterbalance the weight of the pickerunit. As best seen in Fig. 3 the picker unit is vertically adjusted bymeans of a rock shaft 52 carried by suitable'bearing brackets on theaxle housing 14 and rocked by means of a hydraulic ram 53 connected by alink 54 to an arm 55 on the shaft. Other arms 56 on the shaft are thenconnected by links 57 to a lower point on the picker frame so thatoscillation of the rock shaft will vertically position the picker.

It is, of course, necessary to elevate the ears of corn snapped by therolls 38 upwardly and rearwardly in order that the ears may be properlydelivered to the chute 26 of the husker unit, and for this purpose weprovide an ear conveying and delivery mechanism, designated generally at100, forming the basis of the present invention and which will now bedescribed in detail. Referring to Fig. 2 it will be noted that there isan opening 101 between the upper rear end portions of the picking rollsinto which the snapped ears will be delivered by the gathering chainsand the action of the rolls, and below such opening there is what may bereferred to as a well 102 for the reception of the cars. This wellincludes a housing suitably carried by the frame of the picker unit,having sides 103 through which there' is journaled a shaft 104carryingta'il sprockets 105, over which operate transversely spacedconveyor chains 106. These chains 106 are connected by a series oftransverse raddles or flights, indicated throughout at 107, forming anear conveyor designated generally at 107 extending upwardly andrearwardly, having a forward, lower receiving end 107 and an upper reardelivery end 107, as clearly shown and so designated in Fig. 2. At thisupper rear end 107 of the conveyor the chains 106 operate over head ordrive sprockets 108 carried by a shaft 109 which is mounted through thesides 110 of a bonnet 111 and between these head and tail sprockets theforward flights of the chains are guided by upper and lower angle ironguides 112 and 113. Said guides are connected by upper and lower,transversely extending flat sheets 114 and 115 and the arrangement isthus obviously such that the raddles 107, moving upwardly over thesesheets, will engage and elevate the snapped ears of corn from the well102 and will deliver the ears through the bonnet 111 to the chute 26.The lower guides 113 are welded or otherwise suitably secured to sidepanels 116, which form the sides of the aforesaid opening 101 betweenthe rear end portions of the snapping rolls, whereas the upper guidebars are secured to stiffener plates 117 by means of clips 118, the saidstiffener plates being attached to the opposite sides 110 of the bonnet111. The upper guides 112 are also welded or otherwise suitably securedto opposed conveyor troughs 119 extending downwardly and forwardly toprevent the unwanted lateral escape of the corn, and these troughsextend loosely at 120 into the upper rear portions of the side panels 45to permit flexing at this point as the picker is raised and lowered.lower ends 112 of the upper guides 112 are provided with bracket cars1221 which overlap similar ears 122 at the upper ends of the lowerguides 115 and which ears are pivotally connected by pins 123. Thus thisforward apron or bottom structure made up of the guides and sheets114-115 for the conveyor may flex about the pivots 123 and for thispurpose the upper end of the lowermost sheet 106 loosely overlies a lip124 at the lower edge of the uppermost sheet 114, as best seen in Fig.4.

The bonneted upper discharge end of the conveyor 107 is supported upon aconveyor frame structure designated generally at 107 in Fig. 2 upon theupper ends of side or support links or swingable members 125 located oneat each side of the assembly and secured at their upper ends at 126 tothe side plates 117. From this point the side links 125 angle downwardlyand forwardly and at their lower ends they are pivotally connected bypins 127 to brackets 128 secured in properly spaced relation to theaforesaid cross beam 48. Adjacent these pivoted lower ends the sidelinks 125 are rigidly cross connected by a bar 129 in order to move as aunit about the axes of the pins 127 in a longitudinal vertical plane asthe picker unit is raised and lowered. The upper portions of thedownwardly moving rear flights of the chains 106 are supported bylateral guide bars 130 secured at their upper ends 13th to the innersurfaces of the side plates 117 and extending downwardly in rearwardlydiverging relation, with respect to the side links 125, to a pointbetween the forward ends of the upper frame bars 21. These guide bars130 are made up from angle-irons with inwardly turned webs located tothe rear of the chains in guiding relation thereto, and they are securedby tie bars 131 to the aforesaid side links 125 to move as a unittherewith. At their upper extremities 132 the guide bars 130 curveupwardly and rearwardly to receive the chains as they run off theundersides of the head sprockets 103 and at their lower ends the guides130 have clips 133 which curve downward and forward to guide the rearflights of the chains as they angle in a corresponding directiondownward beneath idler sprockets 134. Said idler sprockets are locatedon a shaft 135 carried by brackets'136, secured, to the picker unitframe,

It is also to be noted that the 7 ,5 and the chains 106 run underneaththeidler sprockets and then forwardly beneath the tail sprockets 105 asclearly seen. I

In addition to this supporting assembly the bonneted discharge end ofthe conveyor mechanism isalso swingably supported from the husker unitby means of a pair of laterally disposed tie bars, links or swingablemembers 137 which are pivoted at upper ends 138 to the side plates 117and extend downwardly and rearwardly therefrom. The rear ends of thesetie bars 137 are then pivoted at 139 to suitable brackets 140 guided byupright frame bars 141 secured to and forming a part of the main frameassembly 20.

The conveyor mechanism 100 is driven by a suitable sprocket upon a driveshaft 142, actually a countershaft forming part of the over-all drivesystem, which is journaled transversely of the main frame and is itselfsuitably operated off the drive mechanism 16, as described in detail inthe parent application. The drive connection from this shaft to theconveyor 'is made by means of a drive chain 143 which operates over asprocket 144 secured to one end of the head sprocket shaft 109, as bestseen in Fig. 4. This chain 143 also operates over a rearwardly locatedidler sprocket 145 and over a drive sprocket 146 which forms a part ofthe drive mechanism for the husking conveyor 32. It will be noted thatthe drive for the chain 143 is thus located downwardly and rearwardlywith respect to the head end of the conveyor mechanism, as are also thepivoted ends 139 of the tie bars 137. Y

The operation of the conveying mechanism as such will, it is believed,be readily understood. The chains 106 travel upwardly on their forwardspans so that the flights or raddles 107 will convey and elevate thesnapped ears of corn from the well 102 between the rolls 38 upwardthrough the bonnet 111 and into the chute 26. It is necessary that theconveying mechanism permit the vertical adjustment of the pickerunit C,of course, and also that this movement be permitted without substantialmovement of the upper discharge end of the conveyor so that the earswill at all times properly fall into the chute for delivery onto thehusking bed. If the conveyor were simply connected to move as a unitwith the picker unit, the movement at the upper end would be too great,and it is to be noted thatthis upper end of the conveying mechanism isaccordingly connected to both the picker and husker units. Furthermore,it is necessary that the conveyor chains 106, as well as the drive chain143, be maintained in a properly taut condition at all times. Indescribing the operation of the various supporting and guiding parts ofthe conveying mechanism it will be assumed first of all that the pickerunit is in its lowered position of Fig. 2, and it will then be evidentthat the upward movement of the picker unit, toward or beyond theposition of Fig. 3, will tend to project the entire conveyor mechanismin an upward and rearward direction. This movement is transmitted to thehead or discharge end of the conveyor through the side or support links125, but the resulting travel of thehead'into the conveyor is limitedand prescribed by the action of the tie bars 137, the upper ends 138 ofwhich will travel an arcuate path on radii centered at the pivots 139.Inasmuch as the latter pivots 139 are located rearwardly and downwardlywith respect to the head sprocket shaft 109,

as is also the drive shaft 142 forthe chain 143, this arcuate motion ofthe upper end of the conveyor will have no appreciable effect upon thetautness of the chain 143, and it will at all times operatively drivethe various sprockets. Furthermore, it will be understood that since theentire conveyor system and the side links 125 by which it is supportedand held upwardly'are closely related to the axes of the pins 49 uponwhich the picker unit swings, the aggregrate motion of the conveyormechanism will be relatively slight. As this motion takes place theupper and lower sheets 114 and 115 also must flex to some degree, andthis is provided for by the pivot connection 123 between the guides andthe loosely overlapping relation of the respective lower and upper endsof the sheets H P-115. The side or support links 125 of course functiontohold the conveyor chains 106 taut at all times and the pivotconnections 127 of these links to the picker unit frame provides for thenecessary component or forward and rearward motion of the upper end ofthe conveying mechanism, which motion is in turn confined and prescribedby the tie bars 137 in order to keep the drive chain 143 taut aspreviously described.

It is to be noted in both Figs. 2 and 4 that the down wardly moving rearspans of the conveyor chains 106 pass just forwardly of the lip 37 overwhich the husks, silks, etc., are delivered and discharged from thehusking unit by the conveyor 35. Difiiculty is often encountered inmachines of ordinary construction due to the discharge point for thehusks becoming clogged, but in our machine the flights or raddles 107 onthe conveyor chains 106 operate very effectively to grasp and pull thehusks out and down as they fall from the forward end of the conveyor 35and thus the conveying mechanism has the further function of positivelyand mechanically discharging the husks so that they cannot becomeclogged up upon the delivery lip 37, as will be readily appreciated.

It is understood that suitable modifications may be made in thestructure as disclosed, provided such modifications come within thespirit and scope of the appended claims. Having now therefore fullyillustrated and described our invention, what we claim to be new anddesire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. For use in a corn picker having a forwardly located picking unitsupported for up and down adjustments and a rearwardly located huskingunit, the improvement which comprises an ear conveyor having a forwardend and an upper rear end and extending upwardly and rearwardly from thepicking unit to the husking unit, means mounting the conveyor at itslower forward end on the picking unit,

and separate swingable members connecting the upper rear end of theconveyor to both the picking and husking units.

2. For use in a corn picker having a forwardly located picking unitsupported for up and down adjustments and a rearwardly located huskingunit, the improvement which comprises an ear conveyor having a lowerforward end and an upper rear end and extending upwardly and rearwardlyfrom the picking unit to the husking unit, means mounting the conveyorat its lower forward end on the picking unit, and a swingable memberpivoted at a lower end to the picking unit and extending upward andconnected at its upper end to the upper end of the conveyor, and aseparate swingable member pivoted at a lower end to the husking unit andextending upwardly and forwardly to the upper end of the conveyor andpivoted thereto.

3. For a corn picker having a husking unit and a forwardly locatedpicking unit pivoted for up and down swinging adjustments with respectto the husking unit, the improvement which comprises an ear conveyorassembly for conveying cars from a lower receiving point on the pickingunit upwardly and rearwardly to an upper dis-' charge point above thehusking unit and comprising a conveyor having a lower receiving end andan upper delivery end, means operatively supporting the receiving end ofthe conveyor on the picking unit and means extending between the pickingunit and the delivery end of the conveyor to cause the conveyor to movebodily upward and downward as the picking unit is correspondinglyadjusted, and means also swingably connecting the delivery end of theconveyor to the husking unit to confine and prescribe movement of thisend of the conveyor with respect to the husking unit.

4. For a corn picker having a husking unit and a forwardly locatedpicking unit pivoted for up and down swinging adjustments with respectto the husking unit, the

improvement which comprises an ear conveyor assembly for conveying earsfrom the picking unit upwardly and rearwardly to the husking unit andcomprising a conveyor having a lower receiving end and an upper deliveryend, means operatively supporting the receiving end of the conveyor onthe picking unit, a conveyor frame structure located between thereceiving and delivery ends of the conveyor and supported on the pickingunit to move the conveyor bodily upward and downward as the picking unitis correspondingly adjusted and thereby maintain the conveyor in anoperatively taut condition, the said conveyor frame structure havingpivots located between the receiving and delivery ends of the conveyorand said pivots permitting movements of the delivery end also forwardand rearward with respect to the husking unit, and means pivotallyconnected between the delivery end of the conveyor and the husking unitand prescribing the said movements of the conveyor at its delivery end.

5. For a corn picker having a husking unit and a forwardly locatedpicking unit pivoted for up and down swinging adjustments with respectto the husking unit, the improvement which comprises an ear conveyorassembly for conveying cars from the picking unit upwardly andrearwardly to the husking unit and comprising a conveyor having a lowerreceiving end and an upper delivery end, means operatively supportingthe receiving end of the conveyor on the picking unit, a conveyor framestructure located between the receiving and delivery ends of theconveyor and supported on the picking unit to move the conveyor bodilyupward and downward as the picking unit is correspondingly adjusted andthereby maintain the conveyor in an operatively taut condition, meanspivoting the conveyor frame structure to the picking unit whereby thedelivery end of the conveyor will wing in forward and rearwarddirections, and tie bars pivoted between the delivery end of theconveyor and points located rearwardly and downwardly therefrom upon thehusking unit.

6. For a corn picker having a husking unit and a forwardly locatedpicking unit pivoted for up and down swinging adjustments with respectto the husking unit, the improvement which comprises an ear conveyorassembly for conveying ears from the picking unit upwardly andrearwardly to the husking unit and comprising a conveyor having a lowerreceiving end and an upper delivery end, means operatively supportingthe receiving end of the conveyor on the picking unit, a conveyor framestructure extending upwardly and downwardly between the receiving anddelivery ends of the conveyor and supported at its lower end on thepicking unit to move the conveyor bodily upward and downward and keep ittaut as the picking unit is accordingly adjusted, the said conveyorframe structure having pivot means located between the receiving anddelivery ends of the conveyor and said pivot means permitting swingingmovements of the delivery end forward and rearward with respect to thehusking unit, and tie bars connected between the delivery end of theconveyor and points rearward thereof upon the husking unit for limitingsuch swinging movements of the delivery end of the conveyor.

7. For a corn picker having a husking unit and a forwardly locatedpicking unit pivoted for up and down swinging adjustments with respectto the husking unit, the improvement which comprises an ear conveyorassembly for conveying cars from the picking unit upwardly andrearwardly to the husking unit and comprising a conveyor having a lowerreceiving end and an upper delivery end, means operatively supportingthe receiving end of the conveyor on the picking unit, a conveyor framestructure extending downwardly from the delivery end of the conveyor andsupported at its lower end on the picking unit whereby to move theconveyor bodily upward and down- Ward as the picking unit is accordinglyadjusted, the said conveyor frame structure having pivots locatedbetween the receiving and delivery end of the conveyor and said pivotspermitting swinging movements of the delivery end of the conveyorforward and rearward with respect to the husking unit, drive means forthe conveyor including a shaft adjacent the delivery end thereof, adrive shaft on the husking unit, an endless flexible drive elementconnecting the shafts, and tie means swingably connected between thedelivery end of the conveyor and the husking unit and limiting andprescribing the swinging movements of said delivery end to maintain saiddrive element in an operatively taut condition in all positions of theconveyor and picking unit.

8. For a corn picker having a husking unit and a forwardly locatedpicking unit pivoted for up and down swinging adjustments with respectto the husking unit, the improvement which comprises an ear conveyorhaving a lower receiving end at the picking unit and an upper deliveryend at the husking unit, means operatively supporting the receiving endof the conveyor on the picking unit, a conveyor frame structureextending downwardly from the delivery end of the conveyor and supportedat its lower end on the picking unit whereby to move the conveyor bodilyupward and downward as the picking unit is accordingly adjusted, thesaid conveyor frame structure having pivots located between thereceiving and delivery end of the conveyor and said pivots permittingswinging movements of the delivery end of the conveyor forward andrearward with respect to the husking unit, drive means for the conveyorincluding a shaft adjacent the delivery end thereof, a drive shaft onthe husking unit, an endless flexible drive element connecting theshafts, and tie bars pivoted at the delivery end of the conveyor andextending therefrom in the general direction of the drive shaft on thehusking unit and pivoted to the husking unit to confine the saidswinging movements of the conveyors delivery end to an arc whereby thedrive element will be maintained in an operatively taut condition.

9. For a corn picker having a husking unit and a forwardly locatedpicking unit pivoted for up and down swinging adjustments with respectto the husking unit, the improvement which comprises an ear conveyorhaving a lower receiving end at the picking unit and an upper deliveryend at the husking unit, means operatively supporting the receiving endof the conveyor on the picking unit, a conveyor frame structureextending downwardly from the delivery end of the conveyor and supportedat its lower end on the picking unit whereby to move the conveyor bodilyupward and downward as the picking unit is accordingly adjusted, thesaid conveyor frame structure having pivots located between thereceiving and delivery end of the conveyor and said pivots permittingswinging movements of the delivery end of the conveyor forward andrearward with respect to the husking unit, tie bars pivoted to thedelivery end of the conveyor and to the husking unit to prescribe theswinging movements of the conveyor, and said conveyor also having upperand lower guides and connecting upper and lower sheets, and the guidesbeing pivoted together at their adjacent ends, and the sheets looselyoverlapped to flex as the delivery end of the conveyor swings.

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